The present invention relates to a feed metering apparatus for supplying fodder of drink or both to an animal which has a feeding trough with means for closing its opening and a feed supply device for intermittently supplying a quantity of fodder or drink, or both, into the feeding trough.
Such feed metering apparatuses for, for example, cows, are generally known. A disadvantage to all these known feed metering apparatuses is that an animal quickly learns where the fodder or drink or both can be obtained, and regularly goes to the apparatus where it inserts its head into the feeding trough, even when it has already received its portion of fodder or drink or both. This disturbs the feeding of other animals. For the purpose of preventing animals that are ineligible to be fed from having access to the feeding trough, its entrance opening is closed by a closing means.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide an improved feed metering apparatus that denies ineligible animals from receiving feed or drink or both from the feeding trough of the apparatus.
According to the invention, a feed metering apparatus of the above-described type is provided a detection device that determines the quantity of fodder or drink or both at a point of time after receiving a supply of a quantity of fodder or drink or both and issuing based on the quantity determination a signal for operating a closing means for prohibiting access to the trough. Animals that have used the feeding trough, even after there is no more fodder or drink or both present therein, may still retain their heads in the feeding trough during a short to longer period of time waiting for additional fodder or drink or both to be supplied. As a result another animal ready to be fed cannot gain access to the feeding trough immediately. According to the invention this is result is avoided by operating the closing means, after an animal has consumed at least a part of the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, provided so that further access to the feeding trough is impossible for that animal. An animal that has just made use of the feeding trough is thus encouraged to leave the feeding trough.
The detection device preferably comprises a weighing member for weighing the quantity of fodder or drink or both in the feeding trough. Said weighing member is capable of measuring whether or not there is still fodder or drink or both present in the feeding trough after a quantity of fodder or drink or both had been supplied into the feeding trough. Thus the weighing member, after having determined that there is no more fodder or drink or both present in the feeding trough, has the capacity to issue a signal for operating the closing means for closing the feeding trough.
When the detection device comprises a clock, it is possible to measure how long the quantity of fodder or drink or both in the feeding trough remains untouched. By setting for example an upper limit, after said upper limit has elapsed, that is after a certain threshold period of time has elapsed, the clock can issue a signal for the closing means to close. In particular when data from the weighing member and the clock are combined, an extremely efficient use of the feed metering apparatus is possible.
The invention also relates to a feed metering apparatus for supplying fodder or drink or both in metered portions to an animal, said feed metering apparatus being provided with a feeding trough for containing fodder or drink or both, an entrance opening to the feeding trough, a closing means for closing the entrance opening, and a feed supplying device for intermittently supplying a quantity of fodder and/or drink into the feeding trough, characterized in that the feed metering apparatus is provided with a detection device for determining the quantity of fodder or drink or both in the feeding trough at a point of time after receiving a quantity of fodder or drink, or both, and for issuing, based on the quantity determination, a first signal for operating the closing means. The feed metering apparatus is provided with a clock for determining the time duration from being a supplied a quantity of fodder or drink, or both, and for issuing, based on the determination of the time duration, a second signal for operating the closing means, the feed metering apparatus being provided with a closing means operating device for operating the closing means as a result of the first or the second signal or both signals.
In an embodiment of a feed metering apparatus according to the invention, the feed metering device is provided with a means for determining the decrease per unit of time of the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, in the feeding trough. Such a means may be used for issuing a signal for operating the closing means, but may also be used (in combination with an animal identification) for determining whether the consumption rate of a particular animal corresponds with its usual eating rate. Said consumption rate may be an indication of the health of an animal.
It is particularly advantageous when the feed metering apparatus is provided with a comparator for comparing the determined decrease per unit of time with a decrease threshold. When the determined decrease per unit of time is equal to or smaller than the decrease threshold, the comparator can issue a signal causing the closing means to close the entrance opening. For reasons of accuracy the feed metering apparatus is preferably provided with a file for containing per animal a decrease threshold.
An embodiment of a feed metering apparatus according to the invention is provided with a device for detecting jamming for the closing means. This prevents an animal from being injured during closing of the entrance opening to the feeding trough.
There is preferably provided an obstacle detector for detecting an obstacle in the entrance opening. Such an obstacle detector is preferably adapted to distinguish animals and other objects from each other.
It has appeared that animals, after having consumed the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, in a trough knock or kick with force against the feed metering apparatus in trying to obtain additional fodder or drink or both therefrom. According to the invention this undesirable behavior is prevented by providing a violence detector. When said violence detector, which may comprise, for example, a vibration detector, which detects that an animal is kicking or otherwise banging against the feed metering apparatus, said detector issues a signal for operating the closing means for closing the feeding trough.
Preferably a detector is provided in the feed metering apparatus that is suitable for issuing, after detection of a particular situation, a signal for controlling the functioning of the closing means.
Preferably the feed metering apparatus is further provided with an animal identification system for identifying a particular animal that visits the feeding trough. Such an animal identification system may be used extremely advantageously for supplying a quantity of fodder or drink, or both, by the feed supplying device to the feeding trough based on data from the animal identification system. With the aid of data from the animal identification system the operation of the closing means is controlled in an advantageous manner, so that it is possible to prohibit a particular animal access to the feeding trough. Because the animal identification system is adapted to identify a particular animal, the system is especially suitable for holding back an animal wishing to make use of the feeding trough at an undesired point of time. Moreover, the animal identification device is adapted to co-operate with the obstacle detector for obtaining an extremely efficient functioning of the closing means.
The closing means may be formed by a separate component, but is preferably part of the feeding trough itself which is designed as a movable one. As a result thereof the number of components is limited and the feed metering apparatus can be manufactured inexpensively.
A feed metering apparatus according to the invention is in particular characterized in that it is provided with a device for issuing a warning signal indicating that the closing means is going to close. In this manner an animal knows when the closing means will close, and thus it is possible to teach the animal to leave the feeding trough when the warning signal (such as a sound or light signal) is issued.
The present invention further relates to a feed metering apparatus for supplying fodder or drink, or both, to an animal having a supplying means for intermittently supplying a quantity of fodder or drink, or both, into a feeding trough, a clock for determining the duration of time said quantity has been received in the feeding trough, and based on such duration of time a signal for operating closing means of the trough. With the clock it is thus possible to measure how long the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, in the feeding trough has remained untouched. By setting for example an upper time duration limit, after said upper limit has elapsed, that is after a certain threshold period of time has elapsed, the clock can cause a signal to be issued that causes the closing means to close.
The present invention further relates to a feed metering apparatus for supplying fodder or drink or the like to an animal wherein the apparatus including violence detector as stated above. Animals, after having consumed the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, in a feed trough may knock, bang against or kick with force the feed metering apparatus in an attempt to obtain additional fodder or drink, or both. According to the invention this undesirable behavior is prevented by providing a violence detector. When the violence detector, which may comprise, for example, a vibration detector, detects that the feed metering apparatus is being banged against or kicked by an animal, the detector issues a signal for operating the closing means for closing the feeding trough.
The present invention further relates to a feed metering apparatus for supplying fodder or drink, or both, to an animal which includes means for detecting that a closing member for an entrance opening to a feeding trough is jammed. This prevents an animal from being injured during closing of the entrance opening to the feeding trough.
The present invention further relates to a feed metering apparatus for supplying fodder or drink, or both, to an animal which includes an obstacle detector for detecting obstacles in the entrance opening of a feeding trough. Such an obstacle detector is preferably suitable for distinguishing animals and other objects from each other.
The invention also relates to a feed metering apparatus for supplying fodder or drink, or both, in metered portions to an animal, said feed metering apparatus being provided with a feeding trough for containing fodder or drink, or both, an entrance opening to the feeding trough, a closing means for closing the entrance opening, and a feed supplying device for intermittently supplying a quantity of fodder or drink, or both, into the feeding trough, characterized in that the feed metering apparatus is provided with a device for issuing a warning signal indicating that the closing means is going to close. In this manner an anima knows when the closing means will close.
The invention further relates to a method of supplying fodder or drink, or both, in metered portions to an animal, which method comprises the step of supplying a quantity of fodder or drink, or both, into a feeding trough of a feed metering apparatus, and the step of closing an entrance opening to the feeding trough by a closing means, characterized in that the method comprises the step of determining the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, in the feeding trough at a point of time after quantity of fodder or drink, or both, to be supplied to the feeding trough is known whereupon the entrance opening closed based on such known quantity of fodder or drink or both. In this manner an extremely efficient use f the feed metering apparatus is possible.
In an embodiment of a method according to the invention the method comprises the step of intermittently measuring the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, in the feeding trough. Although a single determination of the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, present at a certain point of time after the supply of a determined quantity suffices for having the entrance opening closed, it is more accurate to perform a plurality of quantity determinations, i.e. to make quantity determinations intermittently. In this manner incorrect values, such as may occur when the animal pushes on the feeding trough with its snout and thus disturbs the quantity determination, can be corrected. A particularly accurate closing and consequently an extremely efficient use of the feed metering apparatus is obtained when the method comprises the step of continuously measuring the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, in the feeding trough.
It is particularly advantageous when the method comprises the step of determining the decrease per unit of time of the quantity of fodder or drink, or both, in the feeding trough. For that purpose successive quantity determinations are compared with each other. When the method comprises the step of comparing the decrease per unit of time with a decrease threshold, it is possible to make an accurate decision regarding closing of the entrance opening. It is particularly advantageous when the method comprises the step of having the entrance opening closed when the decrease per unit of time is equal to or smaller than the decrease threshold. A reliable closing can be obtained when the method comprises the step of causing the entrance opening to be closed when the decrease per unit of time during a pre-adjustable period is equal to or smaller than the decrease threshold. Alternatively it is also possible to take the number of times when the decrease per unit of time is below the decrease threshold as a closing criterion.
Different animals having different eating rates, the method preferably comprises the step of identifying the animal, the step of determining for each animal an individual decrease threshold, and the step of comparing the decrease per unit of time with the individual decrease threshold.